"The final bill before me today is Introductory Number
77, sponsored by Council Members Gennaro, Garodnick, Chin, Fidler, Gentile,
James, Lander, Lappin, Mark-Viverito, Reyna, Sanders, White, Williams, Halloran,
Koo and Vann. Introductory Number 77 establishes an
Interagency Green Team and Innovation Review Board to facilitate the use of new,
green technologies and design and constriction techniques in New York
City.

"The Interagency Green Team, under the management of the
Director of the Mayor's Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, will
assist the advancement of innovative projects, technologies, and design and
construction techniques in addressing City agency regulatory requirements.
The Innovation Review Board, convened quarterly by the Buildings Commissioner,
will review and make recommendations as to the appropriateness of the employment
of such new technologies and techniques in the City of New York.

"Introductory Number 77 is also the first bill to act
upon one of the 111 recommendations of the Green Codes Task Force, which the
Urban Green Council established in 2008 at the request of Speaker Christine
Quinn and myself to make recommendations for code amendments that could improve
the sustainability of the City's built environment.

"I would like to thank Mayor's Office of Long-Term
Planning and Sustainability Director Rohit Aggarwala, Department of Buildings
Commissioner Robert LiMandri, and their staff along with my Office of City
Legislative Affairs for working with the Council on this bill. I would
also like to thank the Council for approving this
legislation."